Wine Stars

Wine Stories and News for the Young at Heart

Peacocks and Torture Chairs Make for a Magical Visit to Castello di Amorosa Winery

(Contributed by Cosimo Lindstadt) My most memorable winery visit was during a week-long vacation to Napa Valley with my girlfriend. Driving west through the lush green valley floor, we caught our first glimpse of the winery: A beautiful 13th century Tuscan castle with complete with turrets – Castello di Amorosa Winery. Driving up the steep drive-way, we passed acres of vineyards on each side, with the tiny pale green leaves of budbreak. Right after parking our car and walking up to the castle, we spotted a bright blue peacock strutting along a rock wall. It was then that we knew [...]

By Guest Contributor|2021-03-23T18:20:39-07:00March 23, 2021|

How Adding Wine to Your Coffee Makes You a True Italian

Contributed by Ruby Collins - When coffee first arrived in Italy in the 17th century, it was an elite, expensive drink. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when technological advances and political changes made it accessible and available to the masses. The espresso we know today entered Italian culture with the aim of encouraging higher productivity in labourers in the 1930’s. It was during this time that the Italian government, led by Mussolini, began to face tariffs and sanctions which caused the prices of everyday products, such as coffee, to rise significantly. Italians had become quickly accustomed to their caffeine-boosting [...]

By Guest Contributor|2021-03-01T18:28:32-08:00February 24, 2021|

Ten Tips to Choose the Best Wine for A Perfect Dinner Date

Contributed by Andrew Christian - For the ideal date, wine and a little romance go together. It warms the heart and slackens the tongue. If you're going on a hot date, you need to pick a cool wine. So how can you pick a wine that will give you the most value for your money, while at the same time, please your date? Following are 10 tips that will assist you in creating the perfect wine dinner date at a restaurant, or for a relaxing wine dinner at home. Romantic Wine Dinner. Photo Credit: Pixabay Do You Know About Your [...]

By Guest Contributor|2021-02-20T12:25:47-08:00February 20, 2021|

Overview of 2020 US Wine Market Stats and 10 Hot Wine Trends for 2021

Though the US wine market endured a very bumpy ride in 2020, with many dire predictions of loss and doom due to the pandemic and wildfires, now that the numbers are in, the results are not that dismal. Yes, of course, on-premise wine sales plummeted, but off-premise and online sales came to the rescue. This caused the year to end with a surprising increase of 4.98% in still wine volume at 372 million 9-liter cases in 2020, compared to 357 million cases in 2019, according to BW166. Of this total, 84.7 million cases of still wine were imported in 2020. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-26T08:53:29-08:00February 11, 2021|

Wine that Connects Cultures, from Asia to America and Beyond

Making a great wine is an orchestration of art and science, passion and hard work. ShunYi Cellars caught my attention recently, which started with the Founder’s personal story of wine discovery that inspired his mission to craft quality wines showcasing premium Californian terroir to bridge cultures and share values. ShunYi's inaugural wines in their vineyards. Meaning of Shun Yi Emperor Shun, highly regarded for his wisdom and integrity, is said to come from the city of Jinan in Shandong Provence, where Founder George Zhang was born. Residents of Jinan are known as “Shun Yi” – descendants of Shun. Interestingly, Shandong [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:29:30-08:00November 13, 2020|

Celebrate Champagne Day This Friday with These Ideas!

This Friday (Oct 23) marks the 11th annual global Champagne Day. Besides sharing a bottle with family and friends, learning about the art of Champagne (see resources below), you can also try some delicious Champagne food pairings while playing a special Champagne playlist. Although it comes in a great variety, Champagne in general is surprisingly versatile to pair with different types of cuisines and tastes. Credit: Comite Champagne Know Your Dryness/Sweetness First, pay attention to the sweetness/dry scale of your Champagne. If you are serving more than one bottle, start with the driest, working up to the sweetest.The designations for [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:29:53-08:00October 21, 2020|

Exquisite Wine and Dine Open-Air at the Breathtaking Ram’s Gate Winery

Known for their small lot premium wines, innovative culinary experiences and beautiful farmhouse-meets-modern design, Ram’s Gate is a modern winery nestled between Sonoma and Napa at the heart of Carneros Valley. This fall, Ram’s Gate will open new Veranda and Arbor venues for private outdoor tasting experiences. The very first Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs by Director of Winemaking Joe Nielsen, who joined Ram’s Gate team in 2018, will also be released. These wines will be featured throughout the tastings and available for purchase at the winery. Ram's Gate Winery Veranda By the Fire The new Veranda Experience offers guests a [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:30:19-08:00October 17, 2020|

New Rosé Wine Revolution in Puglia, Italy

Many regions of the world produce lovely “pink” rosé wine, but an area getting more attention now is the Puglia region of Southern Italy. Nestled along the Adriatic Ocean in the “boot heel” of Italy, Puglia – also called Apulia – and pronounced “pulia,” is producing rosé wines from their native grapes. However, in Italy, the term for rosé wine is "rosato." Rosé wine from Puglia in Southern Italy. Photo Credit; Association Instagram What Types of Grapes Go Into Puglia Rosé Wine? Rosé wines are usually made by pressing red grapes early and letting the juice sit on the skin [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T17:30:51-08:00October 16, 2020|

How You Can Help Our Community Recover

Our wine community is fighting multiple challenges yet again, affected by the Glass Fire shortly after LNU fires were contained in an already difficult year. However, there are some ways you could make a difference while connecting with the community.How? Here is a short list of resources for you to check out. Offer a helping hand: Volunteer! You can volunteer both in-person or even from home by preparing and delivering food, helping at animal rescue shelters, promote social media, translate, etc. For area-specific volunteer opportunities, visit:Napa area: Napa Disaster Relief Volunteering Sonoma area:Sonoma Disaster Relief Volunteering Many ways you can [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:31:30-08:00October 5, 2020|

A Silver Lining for Chianti Classico

Needless to say, 2020 has been challenging for most of us. Fortunately, some vintners in Italy are trying to make the most of the situation despite an overall decline in wine sales. Chianti Classico Consortium, one of the oldest Italian wine consortiums with 515 Chianti producer members, remarks how vineyards have “never looked so good” as a result of winemakers having extraordinary time to dedicate greater care on the 2020 vintage. Beautiful vineyard slopes of Chianti. New opportunities for Chianti wineries To provide extra support for Chianti producers and boost local economy, the organization launched several initiatives, such as financing [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:31:58-08:00September 27, 2020|

Josh Hart, NBA Player and Wine Fan, Announces New Scholarship with Wine Access

For centuries, wine has been a cultural experience that brings people of all backgrounds together. With this in mind, Wine Access, the online wine retailer curating the world’s highest quality wines and immersive tasting experiences, partnered with Josh Hart, NBA player and wine enthusiast, to create a Diversity In Wine Scholarship Program. Josh Hart Announcing Wine Diversity Scholarship This scholarship aims to promote diversity and inclusivity in the wine industry and increase representation of the BIPOC community. As a company made up of wine experts with different backgrounds and experiences, Wine Access strives to provide more opportunities for minority groups [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T17:32:25-08:00September 22, 2020|

Intercept Wine, Created by Black NFL Player Charles Woodson, Now Available Across the US

Charles Woodson is the only defensive player ever to win a Heisman Trophy, and now he has achieved another triumph. After launching Intercept Wine in partnership with O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in 2019, Woodson was confronted by an issue which many producers in the wine industry face – trying to get wine distributed in more than just a few states. In the beginning Intercept Wine was only available in 15 states, but now it has achieved full national distribution through its partnership with O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. Charles Woodson with his wine brand, Intercept This makes Super Bowl champion, Charles [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T17:33:10-08:00September 17, 2020|

Breathless Winery Wins “Rising Wine Star Winery of the Year” Award

In less than 10 years since it opened, Breathless Wines has already won multiple awards, including the San Francisco Wine Competition, American Fine Wine Competition, Wine Enthusiast, among others. This time, it is awarded by LuxeSF, a luxury marketing organization, as their “Rising Wine Star Winery of The Year”, after a tough competition with 74 other nominations across 5 award categories, selected by a 14-person panel of respected industry veterans. Have you tried Breathless Wines yet? They are currently offering a special duo Blanc De Noir and Brut Rose pack at $60 including shipping this week until September 18. Better [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:33:57-08:00September 14, 2020|

Ferrari Cars Celebrate With Ferrari Trento Sparkling Wines

Two iconic Italian brands come together in Florence on September 12 and 13th to celebrate the 1000th Grand Prix. The famous Ferrari car company partners with the historic Ferrari Trento sparkling wine company for this special occasion. Photo Credit: Ferrari Scuderia and Ferrari Trento Sparkling Wine For the first time in its history, the Mugello Circuit will host a FIA Formula 1 World Championship™ class race, and its coinciding with the important milestone of Scuderia Ferrari –the only team present in all of the 70 editions raced till now – has created the perfect occasion for celebrating in style in Florence with a Gala [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-06T21:03:25-08:00September 12, 2020|

A Legacy Sparkling with Personality

Hailing from a pioneer winemaking family in Napa, Paula Kornell is a Napa native who has seen the region’s rise from idyllic countryside to a world-renowned premium wine destination. Paula has acquired decades of experience throughout the wine industry, having held management positions at Mondavi, Phelps and other wineries. She has been a member of the Board of Napa Valley Vintners and served a term as its President, and has also chaired the famous Napa Wine Auction several times. Paula Kornell serving her wines at home. Meeting Paula Kornell and Tasting Her Very First Vintage Now, Paula is carrying on [...]

By Fiona Fang|2021-01-30T17:35:43-08:00September 11, 2020|

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